faq's

Please note that this is a static faq list based on common and important questions regarding online backup. If you have specific questions you would like answered you can visit the dynamic part of our website at the online backup blog. Alternatively you can contact backupanytime directly.

In addition, you can as of October 2008 "Ask the data experts" to put questions to an international pool of experts.

Q: We use a firewall. Will this cause issues for online backup?
A: In the vast majority of cases this will be of no consequence at all as our software is firewall friendly and uses safe outward bound connectivity. If there is a requirement to inform the firewall about the ports and range being used (which is quite a rare requirement) we can advise on this and assure you that the procedure is not complex. We have clients using hardware and software firewalls. We also have clients availing of protection from their own WAN via a head office VPN firewall and these clients too can backup with us. Just to reiterate, in the vast majority of cases there will no requirement for firewall amendments and in those cases with modification requirements the procedure is not complex.

Q: We use a tape system. I don't think I need online backup?
A: Tape has been popular system for an inordinate period given its' lack of reliability and the pace of progression of all other areas of information technology. While tape has been out of favor for some time, it is only being replaced generally as a result of relatively recent price reductions in more reliable media. Managed online disk to disk backup is by far the safest method available today. It is not necessarily suitable to low value / high volume data but important mission critical files of high value and low relative volume such as accounts, payroll, office documents and industry software end data should be backed up online regardless of the size of your business. If you do this you can keep your tape system for bulk archive. Entire system backups regardless of importance or relevance of content can be backed up on the tape system over broad intervals, thus reducing the daily manual requirement to a bimonthly or monthly requirement with online running automatically on a nightly basis. This is conducive to longer tape life and therefore increased reliability. Another vital advantage is the searchability of and reduced downtime of not having to search tape systems.

Q: I have a USB flash drive / Zip drive / USB Hard drive. Isn't this enough?
A: These media types are suitable for transfer not backup. In other words, by all means use them to take work home for completion or to give a file to a printer or designer. They are not however designed for "only copy" scenarios and the manufacturers generally state this. USB drives can commonly "flash on removal or entry, causing all data to delete without warning or comment. Be very wary of advice to the contrary. Note the hard drive warranty covers the value of your drive, not your data. The manufacturers are well aware of the risk. Also, in fairness to manufacturers, the public gets what the public wants; and the public want large format, fast and cheap drives. This has resulted in exactly that. Large volume drives which run at high revs and cost little. The reliability has gone the other way. When the 486 and early pentium computers were being built, a hard drive failure was very rare. The hard drives however offered far less space, ran much slower and cost many times more. Hard drive failure today is inevitable and the timing is unpredictable.

Q: We employ an outsourced I.T. company to look after our computer needs. Surely we don't need this also?
A: This is to be condoned. Remember that most businesses outsource I.T. providers. Online backup will add to the level of protection offered to you and your providers making the overall system far more secure and issue prepared. Unless your outsource I.T. provider is onsite at your offices every night, it is likely that they will (and certainly should) welcome the addition of online backup to their client date loss defense inventory.

Q: What do I do if an online backup does not complete prior to the next online backup beginning?
A: The amount of time available between users leaving the office and returning is the most common "backup window" indicator. You need your backups to complete during the backup window so the backup will not be interfered with. Online backup can be considered slow. The transfer requirement is not the only variable which requires time. Compression and encryption require time which can be reduced by processor power and transfer requires time which can be reduced by broadband. If your backup window is insufficient then you will need to reconsider compression levels, backup type and backup frequency. Running with a modern backup type such as delta backup (aka bit level backup) can greatly reduce the required backup window.

Q: How long will online backup take?
A: This question generally pertains to the first backup and depends on quantity of data, type of data and broadband connection. It is not uncommon or any cause for concern for initial backups to run for more than one day. Our system can run in "silent" and / or "stealth mode" allowing users to log in and work as normal during this period. Subsequent backups will run overnight outside very of unusual circumstances.

Q: How scalable is online backup?
A: Online backup is the most scalable backup type in the world. Online storage systems allow you to take a share in remote data storage systems which involve overall investment requirements which are made affordable by other companies taking a share in the same manner you do. Additional space is therefore pre-configured and overall management costs are also a shared between all clients using the system. Online storage systems therefore provide the benefits of corporate backup to companies of all sizes.

Q: If I subsequently leave an online storage service, how can I be sure that my data has been cleared from the remote backup server?
A: There is generally more protection offered to your data at remote storage level from both requirement to keep and requirement to remove scenario when compared with that offered at your own local server level. This is to some extent due to the improved economies of scale and expertise levels attributable to data management companies when compared to individual non data specialist companies. More specifically however this is due to encryption. Even if a provided did not remove the data associated with a cancelled client, the encryption used would protect the data from being read by any unauthorized individuals of companies including the data storage company.

Q: My concern is emerging and complicated legislation and the dire publicity surrounding data breach incidents. Will online backup protect me?
A: The important point here is that data protection is a process, not a task. Even if you have an excellent data backup system in place you could suffer a breach as a consequence of non backup issues such as a disgruntled employee or lost laptop. Your ambitions therefore should be based around employing systems which add protection and bring compliance benefits. Online backup uses encryption and therefore protects the actual copy which is backed up online. You still need to protect the original and any other non encrypted copies of data.

Q: We have a large number of systems. How do we decide where to load the software?

A: This is normally very straight forward. We will demonstrate by use of examples. In a single computer environment, the software will obviously go on that single computer. In a multi system environment the software will co on a system (commonly a server) which has access to all required data. The software may be installed on multiple systems to make data available at the required online backup time schedules.

Q: I have been inundated with appointment requests, emails and marketing blurb from a large number of online backup companies. How are there so many of them and how can I distinguish between them regarding quality?

A: Online backup as a service can be provided at many different levels. They range from simple storage which requires minimal investment and is often resold as an added product up to specialist online backup services which are the domain of providers who do nothing other than online backup. Backupanytime are in the latter category. For further information comparing us with other providers and a list of import nat general online backup benchmarks see "Why Backupanytime".

Q: Why has online backup become the norm?
A: Online backup would have become the norm many years ago if the bandwidth was there. Only in recent years have the majority of businesses achieved broadband connections. Online backup offers full automation, encryption, reporting and offsite archive management. This would not have been considered possible never mind affordable only a short number of years ago.

Q: What changes are required to our online backup account if we move office in the future?
A: Our system does not depend on a geographic I.P. address to work. In other words, your systems can backup to our servers from anywhere. It is advisable to notify us of an address change so we can amend our records regarding postal addresses but the system will continue to backup your data once your systems have an active broadband connection.

Q: How Secure is ONLINE Backup?
A: Our online backup is far safer than onsite backup. The system uses bank level blowfish encryption. If you are afraid of online backup then stop using banking online. All online backup files are encrypted using Blowfish encryption. Blowfish encryption has never been broken. DES encryption is used by the U.S. federal banking system.

If this question was of interest, you may find the following white paper helpful : Data Security & Confidentiality

Q: Why is all of this so complicated? Isn't remote storage just a commodity?
A: There are a number of different types and level of remote storage ranging from cloud services such as many Amazon S3 vendors who simply provide space at a minimal price per gig. Many of these services are simply a remote store and come without the capability of scheduled backups, point in time backups, open files management, SQL and exchange support. In addition, many remote backup services which do include these features offer limited retention, self managed only services and limited mirror or dead backup facilities. Remote storage is therefore a commodity at the lower end of the scale with services with limited functionality and features vying with each other for the home market. Some shortsighted commercial entities are enticed in to this price per gig arena based on limited knowledge and the fanfare of entry level services regarding price per gig. The vast majority of commercial entities do however understand enough to ensure they are serviced by commercial off site data backup specialists.

Q: Isn't having a copy off all data all that matters? Surely I can do this myself and simply carry it offsite when I leave the office?
A: The short answer is no. The long answer is here.

Q: Why choose backupanytime.com?
A: We are a specialist online backup company. Our technicians and support personnel work in an online backup specific environment and routine. We are not an agency or sub agency. We sign off on confidentiality and received data responsibility and we have the autonomy and ability to do this. We are not the cheapest in the market and do not intend to be any time soon. We do however offer first class service and value for money.

If this question was of interest, you may find the following white paper helpful : Supplier type comparison

Q: My data quantity is large and I don't think it would be viable for me to back it all up online. How do I find out for sure?
A: This is a common and easily sorted problem. It is usually not necessary to backup your entire system. Critical data, which may comprises accounts, payroll, critical office documents and industry software data will normally take up a small portion of your drive usage as photos, videos, applications and your operating system are likely to use the bulk of your space. Call us and we can go through this with you. You may find that your online backup costs are a small reflection on the space you use at your local system.

Q: What is encryption?
A: Encryption is a mathematical formula that scrambles data files. The only way to unscramble is by means of the encryption code.

Most providers create the encryption code at their servers meaning that theoretically at least they have access to your data. Our encryption system allows you to create (and change at any time without reference to us) your encryption key so only you have access to your data.

Q: What should I be mindful of when moving to online backup?
A: Online backup is an excellent concept and has become a reality due to the high availability of broadband. However, practically all high tech services have some associated potential problems. If you are considering online backup, here are the most common to watch out for.

Q: Supplier dependability : It's all very well to identify weaknesses at my office. How do I know a specific online backup provider has a more suitable environment to offer?
A: Before you allow a third party to assume responsibility of you online backups you must be confident of their bona fides and the viability of their business.

Q: Data availability : I agree I need my data off site. How quickly can I get it back when I need it?
A: In the event of a major system crash, you may need large quantities of data quickly. Transfer, de-encryption and decompression of data can take considerable time. You must ensure before choosing a supplier that they can in an emergency use a "man in a van" approach to getting your system back to rights in a short period of time.

Q: Data retention period : I may have more complicated requirements than simply needing data from yesterday. How are my online backup options controlled and what should I be looking for here?
A: This is a commonly overlooked factor and is of great significance. Some providers have low maximum or default retention periods. Theses can be as low as one month. Thirty days data is not of much use if you discover today that you got a virus two months ago which has been spreading across your system in the interim and only becoming obvious today.

Q: Supplier autonomy : If the data is out of my office it is to a degree out of my control. Who and what do I depend on for my data?
A: No matter how good your relationship is with your supplier, they may be of little use to you in an emergency if they are an agent for a company in a different part of the world. If the buck stops far from home, your relationships close to home may not be as useful as they are strong.

Q: Your broadband : What broadband capability to data store ratios are viable for online backup?
A: Your supplier may have the fastest connection in the world. Your data transfer speeds will however be governed by your broadband speed and reliability. If you have connectivity issues, resolve them before moving to online backup.

Q: Your network : My local network is bespoke and is the result of many minor modifications over time. How can an online backup company offer a general service of quality to large numbers of clients in varying environments?
A: The uptake of new technology presents an opportunity to resolve existing network issues. It is recommended that you sort any existing data transfer problems on your network before using online backup. If you are backing up more than one system from one station or server you may put your backup in jeopardy if there are connectivity issues between said systems.

Q: Specific online backup information : I am familiar with the concept of backup. I want to know more about online backup specific to it's online distinctions. Can you tell me more?
A: Your intended supplier should be informative. All relevant parties in your organization should be informed. Each backup, complete or partial and any missed backups should be communicated in detail. This is of vital importance. If you outsource your backups, there is a possibility of you being out of touch regarding your data retention until a problem arises. Any concerns you have regarding reporting should be addressed satisfactorily. Any delay in same should be considered a red flag for that supplier.

Q: Can I decide to avail of this service after I lose data?
A: Backup is strictly a non recursive issue. What you backup with us you can have immediately. If you loose data which you have not backed up your only option is to avail of expensive and uncertain manual recovery services. While we can and do provide manual recovery services and have extensive experience of same it is preferable for all involved that you choose our backup subscription service at the outset.

Q: What happens if my broadband goes down?
A: If your broadband goes down your system will not be able to complete the current backup or run a new backup until broadband services resume. As soon as broadband services resume the backups will continue as normal. Short temporary broadband outages (even multiple occurrences) are not a major issue as the system (if a quality online backup system) will wail till resumption of service. What is an issue however are extended broadband outages as they could cause narrow your choices in a restore scenario.

Q: I use a C.R.M. system. I don't backup. Should I?
A: A C.R.M. system is not a backup, it is a customer relationship management system. A C.R.M. allows you to store your data on another system (normally instead of your own) and to log in to it generally through a web browser. Your C.R.M. provider is not responsible for your data. You are. All your C.R.M. provider does is provide a facility to access data from different locations as long as it is available. Any word or excel documents you upload to your C.R.M. are kept their for your usage, not backup. If they are lost, you are expected to have a backup. Quality C.R.M. systems allow you to download all of your data so you can take ownership of it and back it up. If your provider does not provide a simple facility to do this then you have to wonder why. And here is the reason. She is afraid you will discontinue the service and knows you cant if you do not have the data. If you have a C.R.M. system you need online backup more than most people. If your C.R.M. provider will not provide you with a simple facility to download all of your data daily then request her to sign off on full responsibility. Refusal to do either is a serious red flag.

Q: Occasionally I delete files which I do not want and to not want to be available to anyone in the future. Can I remove these files from not alone the online backup selection but also the online backup archive?
A: With our system, yes. This is not the case across the board so take this as an industry wide situation. We believe that you should have the same control over your online backups which you have over your off line backups and for this reason we allow full selection, store and archive management.

Q: Where is my data stored?
A: By default, all data for Irish clients is stored in Ireland. Subsequent to our entry to the U.K. market, we now offer U.K. clients the option to store in the U.K. Clients outside of the U.K. and Ireland are backed up by default to Ireland. All client data is backed up daily and mirrored ongoing. Clients can request mirror service outside of their region.

Q: I read in the media almost every day about data loss events affecting companies. Will online backup prevent this from happening to my company?
A: Online backup will make the data you backup available should you suffer data loss. It will also protect the actual data sent for online backup from being read by third parties. Online backup does not however address such issues as non encrypted data on a stolen laptop being accessed by a stolen party. It is for this reason that you need to look at implementing encryption and data protection procedures on a company wide basis in your organization.

Q: What control do I have over billing in the event of a large amount of data being unintentionally sent for backup?
A: This is a concern which is and should be of major significance to online backup users. Our fair billing system caters for this by allowing data in bands beyond your standard pack to be backed up and refraining from increasing your monthly commitment so you can decide to clear some data or indeed retain the excess data in your online data store.

Q: What happens to my online data if I decide to close my account in the future?
A: Many online backup companies will shrug this question off with questions instead of answers such as "Why would that be a concern? On lie backup is the best possible data backup system, you won't cancel". We at backupanytime, given our experience of disaster recovery scenarios know only too well that you must in the interest of your business be prepared to think ahead and outside the box. The reasons need not be known or guessed at. The possibility of this eventuality mst be considered. From a disaster recovery perspective you should be concerned with not alone activities but also consequence. Should you decide to code your account in the future we will do the following.

For accounts which are in proper financial order (i.e. no arrears issues) we will make all data available for download.

For all accounts (regardless of account status) we will as required by the client, delete all data and sign off regarding completing of the deletion process.

Q: How do I distinguish between two seemingly similar suppliers in the online backup market?

A: A diamond has the three "C"s which you can gauge it by. Online backup comparisons are not quite as straightforward but while they involve more variables they can be compared accurately if you know what those variables are. The growing list at present reads (not in order of importance) as follows: Compression, Encryption, Security, Provider stability, Mirror, Software quality, Price, Support, Upgrade regularity, Testimonial strength, SLA, response time, local store, Autonomy, speed and reporting. Yes this list is exhaustive and changes with technology but if each variable is considered individually the comparison will not be as daunting as it may be otherwise. Involve local I.T. support in the decision and don't make your selection without running a comprehensive trial. It may be a good idea to run trials with more than one provider even if the first trial is impressive. This will allow more direct comparisons in a actual implementation environment.

Q: What happens if I can no longer afford to pay for online backup?
A: This should be a concern for any forward looking business regardless of financial standing.

Moderately overdue accounts will not be affected. All data will be made available to the client.

Seriously overdue accounts will be suspended and the data will be held for a period (generally 3 months) to allow the account holder to resolve financial issues.

Accounts beyond a reasonable payment and time frame  will be closed and all associated data deleted. Please note that this drastic action has not yet been taken (printed October 2008) and any such incidence would be after significant effort on the part of Backupanytime coupled with very limited client co-operation and / or payment over an extended period.

Q: What happens if I misplace my encryption code?
A: Standard backups and restores from the system on which our software is installed do not require you to enter your encryption code. This system has authentication embedded in to the code and therefore is proven to have authority when connecting to our servers. If your system is lost or destroyed you will require your encryption code to access data. In other words, if you misplace your code and your system is available and functional you can change your code from that system. If however you lose your code and at the same time your system is unavailable or destroyed them you can not access data. In short, you need to mind your encryption code and if it is misplaced you need to generate a new one immediately. This applies to all quality online backup systems as access without authenticity would mead your data is not secure.

Q: I read on the backupanytime blog that this service can also assist with tracking stolen computer equipment. How does this work?
A: You read correctly. Tracking and retrieval of stolen computers and laptops was never an intended service but is a by product of the fact that our service is designed to allow your computers to backup from anywhere. This service locator system was implemented to allow mobile users to backup from any location with broadband. The consequence of this is that systems if unformatted will often connect to our servers after being stolen. This leads to a situation in which we can hand the client with the I. P. address and more crucially the broadband provider this I. P. address related to at the time. With this information the client can contact law enforcement and provide them with information conducive to gaining actual geographic location and user information from the specified broadband provider. This series of circumstances will not always come as required and may sound complicated but statistically a satisfactory outcome with regard to tracing the location is likely.

Q: I have an online storage facility which I use to store photos and home info online. Can I not just use this for my company data?
A: There are some very important distinctions between online storage and online backup which you should be aware of before trying to apply a storage only solution to a backup problem. Online storage offers a place for digital stuff. Online backup allows scheduled backups, point in time restores, disaster recovery, open file management, data base support and a host of other features which are considered critical for security, availability and compliance reasons. Think this through carefully and make a decision based on sound information.

Q: I am confused with the varying prices of services. What is the difference between simple online storage and online backup? The prices suggest significant difference!
A: As the market matures, definitions will become more widely understood and the uniformity of understanding of what is available will make comparison less complicated. In the interim, this is a somewhat oversimplified explanation to demonstrate why these variances exist. Online storage, broadly, is just space for data. Online storage implies little in the line of automated data management capability, point in time backups, snapshots and retention periods. Online backup generally includes greater automation, capability and protection. No assumptions may be made about any of this. Ensure you discuss your requirements with any intended provider. Backupanytime is not a simple online storage provider. We are a specialist online backup company. We provide leading edge data backup and data protection services.

Q: Given that the data has to be online at some level to be available from anywhere, is there not the slightest chance of it getting in to the wrong hands?
A: Firstly, the data is not online per say. Yes you can access it from anywhere but you need software and authentication to access it. In addition and more crucially, the data is encrypted so even if a third party (ourselves included) managed to access the data it would be absolutely unreadable.

Q: I just can't get my head around the fact that my data will be stored with an outside provider?
A: This is absolutely understandable. Even when you know how strong our encryption is and realize that we are prepared to sign off on the fact that even we can not read your data, it is still a big step for anyone with a healthy level of  skepticism to commit to sending their data to an outside provider as a matter of principle regardless of the bona fides of any specific provider. We can not make you do this. All we can say is that if you do decide to backup online we offer the greatest level of confidentiality afforded to online backup users. You are not actually handing over your data. You are transmitting unreadable digitized code which only you can unlock.If having read through our website you love the idea but still have confidentiality concerns it may be a good idea to contact us and discuss your requirements and concerns.

Q: What should I do if I am looking for answers to questions which I can not find here?
A: We understand that the number of questions related to online backup are varied beyond the number of sub topics it covers. For this reason we continually update this web page. Even with the continual updating of this page people will on occasion have questions which simply are not catered for in an FAQ section. There are however a number of other information sources you can avail of.

These are as follows.

You can contact us. We would be delighted to speak with you, email answers to your queries or meet with you.

You can view our comprehensive white papers area which contains a library of documents which range in user level from novice to expert.

You can install the online backup free no commitment trial of our online backup service and experience the benefits our service has to offer.

You can visit our online backup blog which is frequently updated and covers a wide range of subjects ranging from online backup, related technologies (such as encryption, compression and data management) to news about data law and data outages.

Please remember that the information provided throughout this website and on our blog in no way constitutes technical or legal advice. For technical advice you should consult your onsite I.T. administrator for legal advice you should consult your solicitor.